Fourth of July cookout prices see slight increase this year
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Hoosiers shopping for their Fourth of July cookout will see slightly higher prices this year, according to the Indiana Farm Bureau.
The organization’s annual summer cookout market basket shows residents are paying an average of $71.49 for a cookout feeding 10 people this summer, a 5% increase from last year.
The INFB summer cookout market basket survey was conducted in early June by volunteer shoppers across the state who collected prices on specific food items from one of their local grocery stores. They were tasked with looking for the best possible prices without the use of special coupons or deals.
The total market basket price includes summer staples such as ground beef, cheese, hamburger buns, pork chops, chicken breasts, pork and beans, potato salad, strawberries, chips, ice cream, cookies and lemonade.
The 2025 average equates to $7.15 per person, which is 1% higher than the national average of $7.09 per person.
“Inflation is slowing slightly, prices are leveling out and supply chain issues that have been prevalent for the last few years are slowly getting worked out, so we are seeing just a slight increase in prices compared to the last few years here in Indiana,” Farm Bureau Chief Economist Todd Davis said in a news release.
The bureau said the two items that saw the largest increase were ice cream and strawberries, which rose 31% and 19%, respectively. The bureau said only ground beef and pork chops were more affordable in Indiana this year.
“According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there’s more pork in cold storage so the prices you’re seeing at the supermarket are generally going to be a bit lower,” Davis said. “Ground beef, on the other hand, our shoppers found the price to be just about the same as last year, which is encouraging because cattle herd numbers remain low across the country.”
The bureau said most items were similar in price to the national averages, with the biggest difference being hamburger buns and lemonade. Those were about 8% less than the national prices.
The USDA says just 16 cents of every retail food dollar spent goes back to farmers.
“Farmers are price takers, not price makers – just like consumers,” said Janis Highley, INFB 2nd vice president. “Margins are still tight for farmers due to high supply costs because the amount farmers are being paid isn’t covering that increase in expenses.